Libya: democracy and stability - a challenge for women

Meeting at Lower House, call to demine freed zones

(by Luciana Borsatti)
(ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 18 - They are ''strong'' and have
actively participated in the revolution against Gaddafi. Now
Libya's women are dealing with militia fighting, terrorism, the
economic crisis and Islamist forces who want to reduce rights
also conquered before 2011.

The Minerva association, together with the foreign ministry,
has dedicated to these women a seminar at the Lower House,
attended by a group of lawmakers and members of civil society of
Libya.

The women who sit in the Parliament of Tobruk - the
institution that has not given a green light yet to the
government of Sarraj - are 30, because in the post-revolution
era they were awarded 16% of seats. But there are victims among
lawmakers as well, such as Fariha Al Barkawi, who was killed in
2014, just like human right activist Salwa Bughaighis who was
assassinated a few months before.

Women in civil society are dealing with the economic crisis,
the lack of essential goods on the market, the scarce cash, the
strong deficiencies of the healthcare system, sexual and
gender-related violence that is again dominating homes and the
street, crime, corruption, the lack of a strong political
authority and absolute necessity after five years of civil war
and terrorism of a national reconciliation.

All the problems were discussed at length by the Libyan
speakers, including the loss or risk of loss of goals attained
in the past, as denounced in particular by Naeima Gebril, member
of the council for National Political Dialogue. She spoke about
muftis who want to separate boys from girls in school, or a law
to reinstate polygamy which was however successfully fought in a
Supreme Court appeal, among other things.

And these women representing Libya made specific requests to
Italy and the international community including help in demining
homes and civilian infrastructures in freed Benghazi, where
defeated Islamist militias have disseminated land mines
everywhere.

Such a call was made by Gebril, as well as by Hana Abudeb, an
MP who asks for the support of Europe and Italy for the
reconstruction of airports, to reopen embassies and to enable
the Libyan army to fight terrorism effectively by lifting an
embargo on weapons.

European countries were also criticized for the ''many words
and few facts'' or for pursuing national interest that don't
coincide with those of Libya, contributing to divisions between
factions.

Opinions on controversial general Haftar also diverge. Italy
is calling for a recognition of an adequate role in the
country's security.

''Haftar is not a gang leader but a personality charged by
parliament'' in the fight against jihadist militias, said MP
Sultana Abdurrai, stressing that consensus on his figure now
goes beyond Libyans in the east.

There is no risk that the elderly general means to implement
in Libya the same authoritarian model as Egypt's president Sisi,
according to the lawmaker, because ''Libya will be governed only
by the ballots'' and the scenario of a military dictatorship
cited during the debate ''has no foundation'', she said.